Hyperlinks in electronic documents, such as web pages, emails, and word processing documents, frequently contain links to URLs. When a user clicks on a hyperlink that has an associated URL, a web page corresponding to the URL may be automatically opened in a browser application. A user may be misled by a spoofing hyperlink (e.g., in spam emails) that purports to link to a particular website or subject matter but that actually links to a different website or subject matter. Thus, users intending to access a trusted website or desired subject matter may be re-routed against their wishes and without their knowledge.
For example, a hyperlink that reads “Click here to go to Ebay” may actually be associated with a URL that redirects the user to a destination that is not affiliated with the “ebay.com” domain name. The destination may be designed to look like the Ebay website but may be used in an attempt to gain unauthorized access to a user's personal or confidential information. If the redirected user believes that she is accessing the actual Ebay website, the user may be willing to enter a user name and password or other personal information. As a result, the user may unknowingly provide confidential information to an unauthorized entity or person.